Counter-terrorism

Staying safe at work

Be alert and observant, and report any unusual or suspicious activity to the appropriate people or departments in your work place.

Advice for employees

have a good look around your work place and establish an awareness of what should and should not be there - this will be very important if your premises need to be searched at any time (for example, if there were a bomb threat)

trust your instincts - if you feel something is wrong, tell those in charge

be aware of anyone who passes through your workplace in the delivery of goods or services

take good care of your personal financial facilities and records

Advice for employers

have proper audit trails and do not adopt trading practices that effectively launder money

ensure your accounting practice pick up anomalies

know your customers so that you can ensure they are who they say they are

ensure your computer systems, and access to them, are secure

Know your staff

make sure that you are certain they are who they say they are

check employees references and employment records

be aware of any behaviour or changes in behaviour that might give cause for concern

ensure any managers are aware of how they should handle such instances

ensure similar standards are applied to any agency or contract staff working for you

Know and develop appropriate contingency plans

ensure your business have suitable contingency plans if your office is not accessible

make sure that your staff can contact the office to check the current situation

work with the police and the fire brigade to ensure your standard emergency plans, such as fire evacuation drills, are up-to-date and regularly exercised

make sure your staff know emergency procedures

Invest in security measures

Existing security measures

Your existing measures may be adequate but they may not be well maintained or staff may not be aware of them.

Before you invest in additional measures, review what is already in place - simply reinstating good basic security practices and regularly addressing them brings benefits at negligible cost. Make sure that: